Mollie’s Motel & Diner has arrived in Manchester, with beautiful hotel rooms plus a retro diner serving American classics.
The space has taken over five floors of the iconic Old Granada Studios down at St John’s, with interior design that celebrates the building’s history.
Mid-century modern details like dark woods, textured upholstery, and retro lamps abound in this stylish new opening for Manchester.
Soho House Design has worked on the build of Mollie’s Motel to preserve the modernist facade of Old Granada Studios and make playful nods to the building’s vibrant history.
This is particularly obvious downstairs in Studio IV, a cocktail bar with a live music stage, where vintage TVs have been inserted over the bar and guests sink into plush couches for pre-dinner drinks.
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You can already check out Mollie’s Diner, which is open now (with a decent discount for its launch – more on that below), with the Mollie’s Motel bedrooms set to launch early 2026.
The hotel rooms at Mollie’s Motel Manchester
A bunk room at Mollie’s Motel ManchesterA Mollie’s Motel suiteAnd a tub with a viewThe bedrooms are all beautifully designed
Hotel rooms at Mollie’s Manchester are incredibly reasonably priced (with 15% off that too when you book direct), with different size and spec bedrooms and suites for guests.
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There are cosy bunk rooms where up to four guests can tuck into their own bunk pods, suites that have their own Peleton room, and cosy double bedrooms with gorgeous views of the southern side of the city.
Regardless of the level (or price) of your chosen room, you’ll have the same design detailing (dark wood panelling, terrazzo and aged brass finishes), plus rainshowers, a super king bed, Dyson hairdryers, GHD straighteners and Cowshed toiletries.
Mollie’s Diner in Manchester
Mollie’s Diner is open nowBreakfast dishes at Mollie’s DinerBurgers and fried chicken at Mollie’s DinerClassic thick milkshakes
The diner space itself looks like it’s been lifted straight out of Hollywood’s Golden Age, with deep burgundy leather banquettes, counter seating, and globe pendant lights.
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It’s all been inspired by the interior of a vintage Cadillac, and has space to 110 diners plus private dining for 30.
As for food and drink, you can expect everything from waffles and French toast to huge burgers and steaks, with thick milkshakes to wash it down.
You can get 50% off food if you book Mollie’s Diner HERE.
The rest of the spaces in Mollie’s Motel & Diner, Manchester
Studio IV cocktail barStudio IV cocktail barThe library snug
As you enter this reimagined building, you’re plunged straight into its design-led vision, with couches and cosy corners everywhere.
The communal reception space has a library snug, coffee counter, and beautiful bar, but you head downstairs you’ll find the real treat – Studio IV.
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This beautiful bar is built around a magnificent central bar, with retro TV screens above it and scalloped leather bar stools surrounding it.
There’s a mid-century-era stage, too, which will host live entertainment to a crowd gathered on couches before it.
You can get 25% off signature cocktails in Studio IV if you pre-book HERE.
Chester Zoo announces return of its £10 tickets for limited time only with extended opening hours
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo has announced the return of its popular £10 tickets deal for a limited time only.
You may remember that earlier this summer, Chester Zoo invited people from across the North West to visit for just £10, and as the offer proved so popular, they’ve now brought it back again for a limited time.
For the past three years running now, Chester Zoo has officially been named the UK’s best zoo thanks to tens of thousands of positive TripAdvisor reviews, and now as the summer draws to a close, you’ll get to see exactly what makes it such a special place worth visiting for a cut price.
With the offer only applicable to afternoons this summer, Afternoon Tickets allow entry to Chester Zoo from 2pm onwards – with the last entry being one-hour before it closes.
Chester Zoo is offering £10 tickets to visitors this summer / Credit: Chester Zoo
Without this offer, standard admission tickets to Chester Zoo usually cost up to £38 for adults, £37 for students, and £28 for children, all including a 10% donation to the zoo’s conservation efforts, while babies and carers go free.
So it really is worth making the most of these limited-time £10 tickets while you still can – with the offer now running until 6 September.
The best bit about the offer returning? The zoo is currently operating its extended opening hours until 6pm too, so included for the bargain price of a £10 ticket, you’ll even get to see all the animals while the sun goes down.
Afternoon tickets are only available online and must be booked in advance to claim the £10 offer.
Tickets can only be purchased online before 4pm on the day of your visit, and standard admission tickets can be purchased from our ticket office at the main entrance.
Find out more and book your £10 tickets online here.
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
Travel & Tourism
Major travel warning issued ahead of Manchester Pride this bank holiday weekend
Emily Sergeant
A major travel warning has been issued ahead of the upcoming bank holiday weekend.
Of course, Manchester Village Pride returns to the city centre this weekend from Friday 28 to Monday 31 August – with four days of music, live performances, and entertainment taking place to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, and of course, the annual Pride Parade will be taking to the streets from 12pm on Saturday too.
Starting at midday on Liverpool Road, the Pride Parade will travel through the city centre via Deansgate, Peter Street, Oxford Street, Portland Street, and Whitworth Street, all before arriving in the Village and closing out at around 4pm.
Pride may be the biggest event in Manchester this weekend, but given the fact it’s a bank holiday too, it’s by far the only thing happening.
A major travel warning has been issued ahead of this bank holiday weekend / Credit: TfGM
As thousands of visitors gear up to visit the city in the next few days, travel warnings have been issued by Manchester City Council and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), as road closures are in place and major traffic congestion is expected across the city centre.
For the celebrations to all take place as safely and seamlessly as possible, a full list of road closures and parking suspensions have now been published.
Drivers are advised to avoid travelling into the city centre by car if possible, particularly on Saturday, and should use other modes of transport – such as buses, trams, and trains – instead to best avoid all the closures.
But for those who do need to drive, they’re being strongly advised to ‘allow plenty of extra time’ for their journeys and check routes before setting off.
🏳️🌈 On Saturday [29 August], it's the #PrideParade so you'll see plenty of rainbows in the city centre.
To allow the parade to take place: – There will be road closures in place – Some buses may operate on diversion – Trams in the city centre may experience minor delays
Wherever possible, drivers are advised to park on the same side of the city as their route, as travelling across the city to reach a car park could add additional time to the journey.
“Plan ahead if you’re travelling over the bank holiday weekend,” Manchester City Council said in its travel warning.
“A number of other major events are taking place across the city, including live events at Wythenshawe Park and Manchester United’s first home game of the season, which are likely to increase demand on tram services and roads in and around the city centre.”
Daisy Jackson -
16th December 2025 
